Richland beacon., 1887-12-31
HOW A DIME II COINED.
Interesting Process that the run
lie Know, Little About.
From TIE Sar Fran .iS.p C,ro:ii lei

From TIE SaE Fran 'iS.o C.roIi lei
There are many things OF interest to
be seen at the taitcl States Mint on
Fifth street. 1t is, no. generally known
that this is til" largest institution OF the
kind in the world; vet it is 81 fact, and
in its facilities for The rapid and perfect
coinage of money the San franciS %
Mint is conceded to he much sup, rior
to tho Royal Mint Of London, which Is
generally supposed to be the largest ana
most complete mint on earth.
A Chronicle reporter called yesterday,
and through the courtesy of Conner
James NJ. Gorham WIS permitted to
witness the manner in which dollars and
dimes are turned out by the bushcl.
Just at present there is lively de-
mand all over the country Tor silver
dimes, and hundreds Of thousands OF
dollars of them are being shipped to
New York, Chicago, Cincinnati, 1t.
Louis and other Eastern cities. Two
of the money presses are, and have been
for some time, running exclusively on
this coin The demand is 50 great that
these machines are not even stopped on
SUNDAYS, and will he run on that day
through the present month.
The process of dime-maklng Is an IN
teresting one. The silver bullion Is
first melted and run into twopound
| bars. These in turn are run through
immense rollers and flattcncl out to the
| thickness of the coin. These silver
strips are then passed through ma
chine, which cuts them into the proper
/ e.. ~ II
| ing been treated with II kind OF ta!iow
to prevent their being scratched III then
passage throughthe cutters. The silver
pieces are then put into the feeder OF
the printing presses, and are TED to the
die bv automatic machinery Mt the rate
Of 100 per minute, $4,000 dimes being
turned out in regular working day OF
eight hours. As the smooth pieces are
pressed between the pOnderous printing
dies they receive the lcttercd and fig
ured impression in manner similar t.
that Of paper pressed upon form %
type; ut the same time the piece Is rN
handed in II slight degree, and IN,
small cOrrugation, are eat into It's RIM
The machine drops the completed con
into receiver, and it is ready Tor Tx
counters hands.
The instrument used 10y the conntc
is not complicated machine 10y an,
means, us one might suppose. 1t Is
simple copper-coYered tray having raise'
ridges running across Its surface ut
distance apart the exact width of dime
From the receiver the money Is dumpc
on this boarl or tray and as it Is shake
rapidly by the counter the pieces settl
down into the spaces between the ridge
All these spaces being filled the snrpli'
is brushed back into IL" receiver an
the cmnter has 1.250 dimes, or So
on this tray, which number is require
to fill the spaces. The tray Is the
emptied into boxes AMI the money
ready for shipment.
The dime does not pass through til
weigher's hands as does the coin OF
larger denomination. One andone-ha
grains is allowed for yara ion or ''to
: crancc" i'll I'LL silver coins from dolia
down, AMI the deviation from the stai
, darl in the case of the ten-ccnt pieces
5 50 trihins that the trouble and cApeas
, Of weighing coins Of this dcnominatio
> Is dispensed with.